Test Taking Skills

Topics on Student Success

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.

        -Thomas Edison, Inventor

Preparation

1. Think Positively About Tests 
   
   
   • Preparation is your best defense against
     test anxiety.  If you know you have learned the material, you'll feel better able to perform and less anxious.
     
     
   • View the test as a marker of where you are.  One test grade isn't your final class grade.  It just gives you an idea of where you are and what you've learned.  It doesn't determine your worth.
     
     
   • Practice relaxation techniques.  Take a few long, deep breaths, stretch and try to relax. 
     
     
   • Think positive internal thoughts (I am prepared for this test, I will do fine!)
     
     
   • Focus on the exam material, not on other students, how well you are doing, etc.
     
     
2. Identify test type and material covered
   
   
   • Multiple choice, short-answer, essay?
     
     
   • Which chapters?
     
     
   • Anything you can omit?
     
     
   • Length of exam?
     
     
3. Choose study materials
   
   
   • Use note cards you should have already prepared.  It may help to highlight questions you are having trouble remembering
     
     
   • Use the Cornell note-taking system which will have you prepared with ready-made questions and answers
     
     
   • Be sure and review handouts.  If the professor went to the trouble to copy it for the entire class, you can bet it's important!
     
     
   • Create a last minute study sheet
     
     
4. Test Yourself
   
   
   • Ask yourself questions from your note cards aloud
     
     
   • Try to complete the questions at the end of the chapters
     
     
   • Find study partners who can challenge you with questions

Strategies on the test

1. Write down short key facts before starting the test (Formulas, rules, conjugations of verbs for language tests, etc.)
   
   
2. Begin by looking over the exam to get a feel for the amount of time you will need in each section.  Watch the clock while you work or write down a half way time and half way question number
   
   
3. Question order. 
   
   
• Is there a penalty for guessing?  If not, be sure and answer all the questions. 
  
  
• Start with the easy questions.  Put an asterisk by the more difficult ones and return to them after the easy ones.  Easy questions later in the exam may give you clues to help answer the harder ones you passed up.
  
  
4. Use critical thinking to avoid errors (Carter, Bishop and Kravits, 2002)
   
   
• Notice differences - Material that is unrecognizable and different from what you studied may indicate answers you can eliminate
  
  
• Recognize similarities.  If you don't know how to approach a question, try to think of similar ones that have come up in class
  
  
• Look for exclusive words like ALL, ONLY, NEVER.  These are often untrue since few situations are entirely exclusive.
  
  
5. For multiple choice:
   
   
• Be sure and read all possible responses before choosing an answer
  
  
• Eliminate any definite wrong answers by marking an X through the letter.
  
  
6. For matching:
   
   
• If every answer can only be used once, be sure to cross out answers as you use them to avoid reusing the same answer twice.
  
  
7. For essay questions:
   
   
• Think through cause and effect when asked to analyze a situation
  
  
• Support your ideas with examples that fit
  
  
8. Use all of your test time
   
   
• Be sure all of the questions are answered
  
  
• Be sure you haven't skipped any numbers when transferring to a scantron form
  
  
• If you have time, return to the questions you marked as difficult and recheck your work
  
  
• Erase the asterisks

After the test

Learn from your mistakes.  The point of testing is to evaluation what you know and learn what you don't.  Carter, Bishop and Kravits (2000) recommend

1. Looking for patterns in your mistakes:
   
   
• Careless errors

Did you misread a question?  Skip a box when bubbling in?

• Factual errors

• If you made mistakes, be sure you understand why and what the correct answer was.  This is especially important because classes often build on earlier ideas and you have to have a strong foundation in the basics in order to be successful later. 
  
  
• Talk to your instructor.  They are the best person to give feedback on essay responses and info on what you could have done to get a better grade and what you can do better next time
  
  

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